Indoor Living Spaces, Innovative Solutions, Outdoor Lighting Ideas

If Only I Had More Light…

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Indoor Outdoor Solar Light

Finding what you need in the storage shed, garden shed, garage, or other dark space can be a challenge when you don’t have the benefit of light by which to see clearly.  Many homeowners simply live with the situation because the hassle and expense that comes with installing electrical wiring for outdoor light fixtures is not pretty.

Surprisingly, solar lighting can offer an easy and inexpensive solution to the problem of dark storage spaces.  The Solar Multi Light is one example of a solar-powered light that can be used in indoor spaces.  As long as the included solar panel is mounted in a sunny area outside, the actual light can be used in any indoor space where extra light is needed.  

Solar lighting, in general, is attractive to many homeowners because no wiring needs to be installed, and electrical costs are zero.  Solar lights have evolved over time, too, to provide more light for longer periods of time, making them ideal for any number of outdoor applications.  Homeowners concerned with appearance can also appreciate the many attractive styles in which solar lighting is now available.

 

Backyard Fun, Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Lighting Ideas

Solar Powered Chinese Lanterns Make Creative Lighting Year Round

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Outdoor Chinese Lanterns

Chinese lanterns make a colorful and distinctive addition to creative backyard and patio decor.  But, you don’t need to wait until Chinese New Year rolls around again to adorn your garden or patio with Chinese lanterns.  Fun and funky, solar-powered Chinese lanterns bring colorful illumination to any backyard gathering no matter the time of year.  Since they’re covered in a weather-resistant nylon fabric rather than fragile paper, they can stay in your outdoor areas indefinitely.  And,  because they are solar-powered, these energy-saving lights require no wires or cords, making them easy to hang anywhere.

Innovative Solutions

Hide Outdoor Eyesores with Natural Rock Enclosures

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Faux Rocks and Rock Enclosures

You tend your garden religiously.  You prune your trees and shrubs to maintain beautiful shapes.  You keep your yard tidy, grass trimmed, tools put away when not needed.  So, what do people notice when they look at your property?  The unsightly electrical transformers and septic system pipes that jut unceremoniously from the ground.

No matter what you try, it’s a challenge to hide the unnatural, but necessary, pipes, pumps, and utility hubs that take residence in one or more areas of the yard.  Blocking the view of these eyesores with shrubs works to an extent, until someone needs to access what’s being blocked.  Shrubs and other greenery can make working in these areas difficult.

Rock enclosures offer a smart solution that meets everyone’s needs.  Natural looking rock enclosures completely cover what you don’t want to be seen, but they can be easily removed to allow easy access to the hidden pipes and pumps.  With many shapes and sizes available, you are sure to find a rock enclosure that adequately fits the eyesore you wish to make disappear.

  DekoRRa Rock Enclosure - Low Profile  DekoRRa Rock Enclosure - Largest Rock

Backyard Fun, Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Safety Tips

Plan Ahead for Successful Swing Set Installation

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Spring is the perfect time to install a new backyard swing set or playground set for the kids, but don’t wait until spring to get started.  Installing a backyard playground properly requires some initial planning before the equipment is ever purchased.  Spend time now thinking about important details, and you’ll be ready for installation when spring arrives.

  • Equipment Choices — What kind of backyard playground will your children enjoy most?  Play sets come with a wide variety of equipment options in any number of configurations, so get together with your kids and make a list of the types of equipment they’d like best.  Swings, slides, and monkey bars are generally standard on playground sets, but swings and slides come in a number of different designs and colors.  Additionally, you can choose from climbing walls, tire swings, club houses, and rope ladders, which are just a few of the other playground accessories available for backyard equipment.
  • Best Location — A number of considerations must be made before choosing a location for your backyard playground set:
      • Avoid ground that slopes or is uneven. Level ground helps prevent playground equipment from tipping.
      • Select an area that is away from potentially dangerous obstacles such as trees, low branches and wires, stumps, roots, large rocks, fences, bricks, and concrete.
      • Plan for a safety zone of at least 6 feet around all playground equipment; set aside even more space in front of and behind swings.
      • Think about where you plan to position any metal or dark-colored slides or surfaces. Placing these out of direct sunlight can help prevent burns on hot, sunny days.
  • Safest Surface — What material do you plan to use underneath the backyard playground?  Grass and dirt do not provide adequate protection from injuries due to falls from equipment.  Pea gravel, sand, wood chips, and shredded or recycled rubber mulch are some of the recommended protective playground surface options available. 

With a bit of planning now, you can ensure that your backyard playground equipment is exactly what your kids want and that it’s installed in the best location possible when spring arrives.

Healthy Ideas, Indoor Living Spaces

Soothe the Senses for Elemental Stress Relief

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Wall Fountains and Waterfalls

Relieving stress naturally can be as simple as soothing the senses.  Wall fountains and waterfalls — which come in tabletop, wall mounted, and free standing varieties — bring the soothing sounds of flowing water into the home, but they also bring a visual element. Not only are waterfalls and wall fountains beautifully conceived and able to fit into any home’s decor, the water itself lends another dimension of stress relief to the equation. Watching the dance and trickle of water as it flows across rocks, down textured surfaces, and into a basin at the bottom enhances our auditory experience. When we listen to sound machines or audio recordings of nature sounds, we may feel the need to close our eyes to block out visual distractions around us that take our minds away from the goal of relaxation. In contrast, the visual attributes of wall fountains and waterfalls transport us toward that end by giving us something beautiful and elemental to focus on with our eyes as we listen with our ears.

Tabletop FountainFurthermore, the water that flows in a wall fountain or waterfall changes its sounds subtly at every moment. This dynamic quality keeps our listening experience from becoming tedious or repetitive, which can easily happen if we listen to sound machines or audio recordings regularly. We can also choose to dramatically change the “song” of the water in our wall fountain or waterfall simply by rearranging rocks or other features in the basin or by adding a new element — such as a seashell, leaf, or small piece of wood — along the water’s path. We can even place our own fingers in the water’s flow to change the sound of the water as it moves; feeling the water stream across our skin would bring yet another sensory element to our experience.